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National Wear Red Day

Today, February 4, 2011 is National “Wear Red Day”. Heart disease is a real problem in women and our symptoms tend to be much different than they are in men. Make sure you are aware of the symptoms and don’t hesitate to act if you are experiencing them. Better to go to the ER, Urgent Care or DR and be sent home because it is nothing than to wait and suffer serious consequences or death.

Here is some very important information – please take the time to read this:

Signs of a Heart Attack:

Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest. It lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back. Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach. Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort. Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness. As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.

Signs of Stroke and TIAs:

Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination Sudden severe headache with no known cause

For more information, including Risk Factors, click here to view all kinds of resources and a Knowledge Tool Kit.

In addition to wearing red today, here are some red foods you can eat to celebrate.

Tomatoes

Strawberries

Red bell pepper

Red wine (my personal favorite) – 1 glass a day for women is good for your heart

Cherries

Apples

Sun-dried Tomatoes

Cranberries

Cranberry Juice

Cherry Juice

Watermelon

Pomegranate Juice (POM Wonderful rocks)

Red Cabbage

All the above are naturally gluten-free, making them perfect for celebrating Wear Red Day.